A court in South Africa will decide the future of two four-year-old girls who were given to the wrong mothers after a mix-up in a maternity unit after they were born.

The girls, who were both born on the same day in 2010, were handed to the wrong mothers after staff at the hospital made a mistake.

The error only emerged when the ex-husband of one of the women wanted a DNA test to determine whether he was the child's father - only to discover that neither parent was biologically related to the girl.

Both women gave birth to daughters on the same day in 2010 at the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Johannesburg

Th e man wanted confirmation that he was the biological father of the girl before he made maintenance payments.

Once the error had been spotted, hospital officials contacted the second mother, informing her that she had taken home the wrong baby.

However, the second woman is refusing to swap the child she has reared as her own for the past four years.

Both children were born in the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Johannesburg although hospital staff have so far refused to explain how the error was made.

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Henk Strydom, a lawyer representing one of the women told Reuters: 'They did a paternity test and it was established that neither party was the parent of the child. They went back to the hospital and it was confirmed they had been swapped at birth.

'She was absolutely devastated. She was traumatised. My client wants her baby back. She is the biological mother of the child.'

The case is currently before the North Gauteng High Court who will determine whether the children should be returned to their biological mothers.

Neither of the families can be identified for legal reasons.

Staff at the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Johannesburg, pictured, gave both mothers the wrong children when they were being discharged having given birth on the same day

Both women have met each other hand have been attending joint therapy sessions arranged by the hospital since December.

The court has since tasked the University of Pretoria's Centre for child law to investigate what outcome will be in both children's best interests. The University has 90 days to return its findings to the court.

A spokesperson for the centre said: 'We have been authorised to investigate the matter and to give our report and recommendations. It will be up to the court to make the final decision.'

Mr Strydom compared the unfortunate situation to the story of King Solomon.

He said: 'Someone has to make a very difficult decision. It really is a situation on a biblical scale.'